But the rescue that isn't a rescue, is really the worst of this awful 'blast from the past'

*boom*

Poor choice of words, perhaps, James George. Do you have anything to add to your criticism of those making the decisions about rescue, now? Those who you said were "just a pain in the ass that needed to be humoured"?

"Nothing about the explosion & the mine, has changed since Friday night", and "the cause another explosion excuse is difficult because..." because of what, exactly?

I'll be interested in hearing your reaction to today's events, James George.

Matthew, that was a personal response to the way they both came across on telly that surprised me, nothing organisational. You've done a fine job of explaining the organisational constraints but Whittall just seems to be more charismatic on camera.

Oh, as to the urban legend thing, the article quotes a police inspector thus:

Inspector Brigitte Nimmo, police welfare co-ordinator, said today the antics of some media groups were “despicable”.“It is very disturbing that the media can behave in this manner and I have seen first-hand the effect it is having on the families.”

There was a lot of anger towards the media from many of the distraught family members, she said.“When they are approached by media, they tell them ‘no’. However journalists keep insisting. What they have been doing is selfish and disrespectful, to say the least.“We have had multiple complaints from the families who are well enough to complain — it is totally unacceptable.”Mrs Nimmo said the trauma counsellors were in Greymouth to offer a service and help those who were not coping with the strain.“This has been abused by some media agencies and is in very poor taste.”

[my bolding of verbatim quote]

So I think the poor behaviour of the media in Greymouth is better sourced than mere rumour.

I think mana would be a more exact word than charisma. Think about it: there is a major industrial accident involving a loved one, and you're dealing on a daily basis with the CEO of the company - and not only you don't hate him, but he becomes a vital source of information and support, and somebody to share the burden with. It has been quite extraordinary.

So I think the poor behaviour of the media in Greymouth is better sourced than mere rumour.

Nonetheless, the rumous about specific incidents seem to be swirling - I wouldn't necessarily credit all of them.

Matthew, that was a personal response to the way they both came across on telly that surprised me, nothing organisational. You’ve done a fine job of explaining the organisational constraints but Whittall just seems to be more charismatic on camera.

I think it was Monday's press briefing where a cameraman caught a tear descending Whittall's shattered face as he spoke. I don't think there's any doubt that he has been deeply personally traumatised by this, and that people have responded to his courage and honesty.

But ... it may be that some later reckoning finds the company of which Whittall is CEO more wanting than it finds the police.

Oh absolutely, although it pays to remember that Whittall had become CEO a matter of weeks before the accident.

On this topic, I found a headline on Stuff today quite staggering: "DOC red tape had no impact on mine safety". There might have been somebody actually willing to blame DOC for a mining disaster, it seems.

Not here, but there've been more than a few comments on other forums on the matter - typically "if only we were allowed to just dig up all the National Parks none of this would have happened" nonsense. I think there will be a heap more of it in the next few weeks too.

While we should appreciate the communication skills and laud the undoubted sincerity of Mr. Whittle, we should not lose sight of the fact he is the CEO of Pike River Coal and therefore, when push comes to shove, a company man. This was nowhere more obvious than with his equivocation when asked if the mine would or should re-open. Before we deify Mr. Whittle, we should consider the fact that as the CEO he has been in charge of an organisation now responsible for the worst industrial accident this country in almost a century. Over investing in hero worship of Mr. Whittle on the basis of his performance in this crisis is a bad idea just now IMHO.

Some of those reports of the behaviour of media are awful and I really do hope they prove to just have been more rumours. I have to say I’ve been reasonably impressed by some of the local media. Going to get a haircut this evening I had to walk between Peter Williams and Jack Tame with crew setting up their broadcast on the main drag and later on Gerry Brownlee was being interviewed. They were about as unobtrusive as they could have been I think.